Concrete silo.



C. 0i CULVER. -CONCRETE SILO. APPLlcATlou funn AUGJ, 1914.

Patented July 27, 1915 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Y are so proportioned thatA when assemble Vo enings adapted object of the invention is hf this character,

4this g Agipii.cationL STATES PATENT oEEioE.; 7

GUMILNGS 0'. GULVER, OF SMITHFIELID, ILLINOIS.

concentra sito.

I Application led August 7,

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I," CUMiNGs O. C ULvER, citizen oi the United States, residing at Smitheld, in the county vof Fulton and State of illinois, have invented' certain new and useful improvements in Concrete Silos, of which the following is a specification.

rihis 'invention relates to an improved -construction of concrete silo whichis formed of a plurality of blocks or strips and has as its primary object to rovide a silo of his character Vwhich will be thoroughlyv rigid, and which will provide Van air-tight inclosure.

The invention has as provide a plurality of constructed that they may be assembled in interlocking relation to form the circular walls of the silo and which, when so assem-A bled, will form continuous faces upon the inner and outer sides of-the silo.:

A .further object of the invention is to provide a silo wherein the blocks employed o form the wall of the silo, the joints of the several {blocks-'will be arranged in staggered relation, and wherein the several blocks are so constructed as to provide vertically extending aii spaces within the-wall of the silo, when assembled in. interlocking position f The invention 'has as a furtherv object to provide a concrete silo having' suitable windows/and' .wherein a'closurc is provided for said windows-"which mayy be readily attached to or detached from the silo. Anda further to provide a silo herein a phiralityof blocks are'provided of such construction that'when properly assembied, said blocks will have interlocking relation wit l the adjacent portions ofthe walls of the silo and will provide window to detachably receive ,the Anda still further obto provide'in a silo a plurality of braces so arran ed as to support the wall circumferential y,and a plurality of other. braces arranged to support the walls ofthe window openings.

With these and other objects in view my invention will be more fully described, illusy.tiated in the accompany-ing'drawings andV t en specifically l out in the claim pointe-a w-"ch is attaehed to'andforms a part of a further object to blocks or strips so sures therefor.. ect 'of the invention is Specification ofLetters Patent.

Patented July 27, 1915. y

1914*. Serial N0. 855,681..

particularly Ythe window openings and the closures therefor as well as the br the walls of the window openings.

drawings, Figure 1 t f my improved' silo showing the arrangement of aces disposed to support' Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view particularly showing the typ of the blocks openings.

e and arrangement provided adjacent the window Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the silo,

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the terminalbearing blocks for the hoops, tail perspective viewof one of'the terminal bearing blocks for the braces, a detail perspective view o ranged adjacent Fig. 5-is a del v 7o and Fig. Gis y f the block arthe window opening at opposite ends of the wall of the silo.

Corresponding and to in the following description and like parts are referred indicated in all the views of the drawings by the saine reference characters. v

As best shown the body portion substantially wall thereof', which is of i corresponding to :the thickness ofthe wa the outer faces 12 of said blocks being transversely curv curved surface upon body portion 11 includes a head of each of which is tongue edge o .in Fig. 3 of the drawings,

10 of my improved silo is cylindrical and in formingv the I'employ a primary block 11 a thickness at its widest pat 1,

6 ed to provide a continuously 8' the outer? face of the silo. Eachof the blocks 13 one -longitudinaledge cut away to ,provide a of the 14, while the opposite longitudinal head of each -o hown at 15 arran e next f said blocks is. the tongue of one ed to seat within the eral blocks bein'g, in this manner, arranged to einterlock;

xt ending laterally from the 1 lhead 13 of each of said blocks'is a medially I disposed longitudinally extending' wedge shaped tongue `1.6, vof which are disposed to,convcrge' toward the side walls 17 of each 'the Ifree extremity thereof' for apurpose which will presentlyappear, while the 'adjacent inclined faces '18 of the' head 13 of each of said from thef-'adjacent sidev walls said walls tow of each-of thejheadsll.

The blocks 11 withinthe'wall of the silo, and disposed beawayiffrorh nal edges blocks away to incline 17 outwardly the longitudi-v p are out 106 ard I are arranged vertically tween said blocks in the ',rst and last courses Y of.y the blocks of said wall lare spacer blocks adj acent block, the sev-' '5- 19, said spacer blocks being similar in con struction to the blocks 11 but being relatively, of only one-half the length of said blocks. By this arrangement, the meeting -edgeslof the blocks 11 and 19 are disposed in staggered relation as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Arranged upon the inta.

rior of the wall of the silo and engaging between the tongues 16 of the adjacent blocks 11 are substantially wedge-shaped locking blocks 20, the side edges thereof converging toward one side face thereof to en-. i gage the similarly converging walls of the. adjacent side faces. of the tongues 16. The

inner faces 21 of the locking blocks 2OV provide together with the inner faces of the tongues 16 a continuous surface upon the interior of the silo, and as will be clear, said locking blocks 20 are so arranged as to hold the blocks 11 securely in position.

l1n the first and last courses of blocks in the wall of the silo, I provide spacer locking blocks 22 and 23. Said blocks are similar in construction to the locking blocks 20, the blocks 22 being preferably arranged in the first course of blocks in the wall of the v:silo

and being of a relative length substantially three-fourths of the length ofeach of the blocks 1l' .while the blocks 25j are preferably agiarrangeddn the last or upper course of blocks in the wall of the silo and are of a relative length of one-fourth of that of each Aof the b ocks 1l. In other words, thefvcombined length of one of the blocks'22 and one :of the blocks 3 is equal to that of one of the blocks 11. This is best shown in Fig. 2 Aof the drawings and it will be observed that by such arrangement, the meeting edges of the blocks 20, 22, and 23 are disposed in stag-- gered relation to the meeting edges of the blocks 11 and 19.

The inner faces 24 of cach of the blocks 2O aswell as the inner' faces ofthe blocks 22 and 23 are substantially fiat, as shown, said faces being disposed adjacent the opjgiositely inclined faces 18 of adjacent portions of the head 13 of the blocks 11. A plurality of cirn cumferentially spaced and vertically extenddow openings, the arrangement of said window openings being most clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Arranged'within the first course of bloolrs of the wall of the silo are oppositely disposedfiriecirs 26 and 27, which at their widest part extend entirely through the wall of the silo and are each provided with a head 28 adjacent one longitudinal edge of each of which projects ranged longitudinal edges of the heads ofsaid blocks being one provided with a groove to engage the tongue of the adjacent block while the other is provided with a tongue to engage within the groove of the adjacent block 11. The inner faces 32 of the heads of .said blocks are preferably inclined land provide a portion of the side walls or the adj acent windev-i.v` opening.

Arranged vertically above the blocks 26 and 27 are a plurality of blocks 33 and 34 which are of a construction similar to the construction of the blocks 26 and 27 and are each of a relative lengthl equal to the length of one of the blocks 11. 1n the last or upper course of blocks in the wall of the silo 'are provided terminal blocks 35 and 36 which are a counterpart of the blocks 26 and 27.

Arranged between the blocks 26 and 27 and between the blocks 35 and 36 are terminal transversely extending blocks 37 which extend entirely through the wall of the silo and are provided with outwardly diverging end lwalls arranged to engage the obliquely arranged edges of the adjacent blocks, the saidl blocks 37 being formed, adjacent the inner faces thereof, with longitudinally ex tending flanges 3S arranged to seat against the adjacent inner faces of the heads of the blocks 26 and 27, and 35 and 36. Arranged in the wall of the silo intermediate the terminal blocks 37 are a plurality of trans versely 4extending longitudinally `spaced blocks 39 whichl extend entirely through the wall of the silo and are provided with inclined end walls disposed to engage between the similarly inclined edges of the adjacent blocks, each of said blocks 39 having transversely extending flanges 40 formed thereon adjacent the rear face thereof disposed to seat against theadjacent faces of the heads of the contiguous blocks.

A plurality of Window openings are thus provided and the blocks 37 and 39- are cut away upon adjacent edges thereof as shown at 41 and 42 to receive suitable closures 43.

Each of the closures 43 carries a button 44 which is mounted upon a block 45 interposed between the button and the closure, said button `being connected with the closure by a bolt or other suitable pivot pin R46. l.Als

` blocks ll to ln ig. l ofthe drawings, have shown the several blocks above described, assembled in the manner indicated to form a complete silo, the closures being indicated as in position within `the Window openings formed therein and the s1lo being shown as provided with a. roof 47 which is convenf tionally illustrated. To brace the walls of the silo circurnfcrentially, I preferably ern` ploy a plurality of longitudinally spaced hoops 48, the lextremities of each of which are threaded and disposed to extend loosely throng-lz hearing blocks 49, the terminal nuts 5G beineI arranged upon the extremities of each of said hoops and disposed to engage the bearing blocks. This is best shown in l? of the drawings, and aswill be clear, tl e hoops may be tightened by properly ad justing the terminal .nuts 50 thereof.

'it will thus be seen that provide a very efficient construction of silo of this character wherein the blocks forming the wall thereof are arranged in overlapping relation to each other to lthus form a practical integral structure and wherein the several blocks are 'so constructed as to interlock in such a manner as to prevent lateral bulging of the wall of the silo in this connection, particular attention is directed to the peculiar formation Kof the tongues of the blocks ll and the locking blocks whereby this result is accomplished, the .locking blocks being adapted to wedge hetween the tongues of adjacent prevent radial movement of said blocks.

fit will further be seen thatl provide a silo of this character having vertically extending air spaces within the wall thereof and wherein access may be `readily had to ydetacl'iable closures therefor, so constructed and arranged as to efliciently eaclude the outer air from the interior of the silo when 1n position.l y

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is .A i

A structure of the character described including a plurality of blocks provided with heads adapted to interlock, each of said heads having a tongue formed thereon, a plurality of locking blocks adapted to engage between the tongues of said first mentioned blocks in overlapping relation to the meeting edges of said blocks, a plurality of blocks adapted to coaet with certain of said first mentioned Vblocl'rs arranged adjacent thereto, said last mentioned blocks being provided with headseach'having a laterally extending tongue formed thereon, the heads of certain of said last mentioned blocks being provided with a groove upon one longitudinal edgether'eo adapted to receive the tongue of the adjacent block and the heads of certain other of said blocks providing a 1 ,.tongue upon one longitudinal edge thereof adapted to engage within the groove of the adjacent block, a plurality of transversely extending blocks adapted to extend between said last mentioned blocks to engage therewith, saidtransversely extending blocks being arranged in spaced relation to each other to provide window openings, and detaehable closures for said openings, said'cl0 sures being arranged to seat against -contiguous portions of the heads' of adjacent blocks to'bear at their extremities against adj acent sides of the tongues formed thereon. In testimony whereof I aaiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

G. H. JoHN'soN, A., H, FREEMAN. 

